“Opportunities” coming to Leavenworth

About 70 companies will be in one place Tuesday, looking for candidates. But job applicants will need a ticket ― their resume.

Tim Linn

About 70 companies will be in one place Tuesday, looking for candidates. But job applicants will need a ticket ― their resume.

Kansas Workforce Partnership is sponsoring its annual Leavenworth County Opportunities Job Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Riverfront Community Center in conjunction with a number of community groups, like the Leavenworth County Development Corporation, the Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Leavenworth Army Career and Alumni Program.

“We have lots of partners that help us on this,” said Scott Anglemyer, executive director for Workforce Partnership. “This is of, for and by the entire community.”

He said Workforce Partnership, which includes Wyandotte and Johnson counties in addition to Leavenworth, has sponsored the annual job fair in May for several years in Leavenworth.

There will be 70 exhibitors and 51 employers set up in the gym this year. For the first hour, Anglemyer said the fair will be open exclusively to veteran job seekers.

“Veterans, especially younger veterans, those individuals have a higher unemployment rate than the general public,” Anglemyer said.

From 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., the fair will open to those who are currently unemployed and those who might have jobs but are looking for something new. A lot of those people will already have visited the Workforce center at 515 Limit St. in Leavenworth. But Anglemyer said the organization tries to cast a wide net.

“It would be my hope that we end up reaching a lot more people than just those who walk into our office, and I think we do,” he said.

Employers at the fair will vary, with federal agencies like the Bureau of Prisons and Veterans Affairs, area municipal governments and utilities, local hospitals and medical centers and construction and retail companies, among others represented. Anglemyer said no matter what kind of job an attendee is looking for, there were some helpful general tips – bring a resume, for one, and come prepared to talk.

“Treat this like a job interview,” he said. “Because each time you talk with an employer, it's like a mini-job interview.”

That extends to appearances, as well ― Anglemyer said the applicant in a suit and tie are more likely to make a positive impression on the employer than someone who shows up in a T shirt and shorts.

He said prospective employees should also have a plan before they arrive.

“Know what employers you want to talk to that match your skills instead of trying to visit each one,” he said.

Booths will be set up specifically to help applicants with their resumes and other job-hunting skills. But Anglemyer said the format of the fair benefits more than just the applicants, allowing employers to make contact with a lot of potential employees all at once. Whether because of the reputation of the job fair or a sign of a recovering economy, Anglemyer said the organization had no trouble finding businesses to participate.

“It's growing a little every year,” he said. “We have quite a few employers that are coming in looking for people.”

Leavenworth County Opportunities 2013 is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the gym at the Riverfront Community Center, 123 Esplanade St. in Leavenworth. The first hour will be set aside for veterans to visit with employers.

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